


The Way That I Need You

by fanaticmia



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Boys In Love, Comfort, Declarations Of Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode 208 spoilers, Established Relationship, Extended Scene, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tarlos - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29950647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanaticmia/pseuds/fanaticmia
Summary: Carlos is still processing what happened and he pours his feelings out to TK.An extension of the Hospital scene in 208 after Owen and Gwyn leave.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 28
Kudos: 302





	The Way That I Need You

**Author's Note:**

> I am a little rusty, haven't written anything in a while but my boys brought all those feels back in me. 
> 
> Bonus points if you spot a dialogue from a show in there that I sneaked. I love that show and I love that scene, couldn't help but put it on Tarlos.
> 
> Enjoy!

As TK lay on his uncomfortable hospital bed with eyes closed, he could feel someone staring at him. He opens his eyes to find his loving boyfriend at the edge of his bed, looking at him with mix of feelings on his face. Their hands were interlaced and Carlos was leaning towards bed, as close as he could be to TK.

“What is it?” TK asked.

“A lot.” Carlos said with a nervous chuckle. “All these feelings, they’ve come up and I can’t push them aside.” Carlos’ face tensed a little.

“You shouldn’t have to either. Talk to me, what are you feeling?” TK understood the position Carlos was in, or at least was trying to. He knew he would be in much worse shape if the roles were reversed and Carlos was hurt.

“No, I don’t wanna make this about me. You were the one who went through everything and here I am the one talking about feeling too much.” Carlos was retracting in his shell and it just broke TK. 

“Babe, no.” TK tightened his grip in Carlos’ hand. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” Carlos started to shake his head but TK interjected. 

“No, it’s true. I probably wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think of me or go to my Dad’s place looking for me. I can’t imagine how worried you must’ve been.”

TK paused for a second. “Talk to me, babe. You can’t bottle it up, at least not at the rate that I keep ending up in the hospital.” That cracked a smile on Carlos’ worried face and he brought up his other hand to caress TK’s face and brush his hair back from his forehead.

Carlos stayed quiet for a couple moments, gathering the words to describe his feelings that seemed too big for words because even though it felt difficult to say those things out loud, he worried he might explode from all the residual anxiety if he didn’t. 

“When you… when you didn’t come home for dinner, I had a bad feeling in my gut. I didn’t pay attention to it then but I knew you were in trouble.” He took a couple deep breaths and continued. “But my stomach just dropped when your parents said you weren’t home. TK, I…” He looked down, shaking slightly, brought their entwined hands to his lips and kissed TK’s hand as a tear rolled down his cheek. All TK wanted to do in that moment was to hug his boyfriend and tell him that it was all okay and he was right here but he let him go on, Carlos needed this. He needed to let some of those feelings off his shoulders.

“I knew you wouldn’t but in that moment, I thought after listening to your parents’ news, you had relapsed. I kept cursing myself for not being there for you.” More tears rolled down his cheeks, their hands stills close to his face.

TK couldn’t hold back his tears now. “No, you’re there for me. You have been there for me this entire time, baby.” He untangled their hands and wiped the tears off of Carlos’s face, cupping his face as Carlos leaned into his hand and kissed his palm. 

“I’m sorry I doubted you. I know you would never do that to your family but in that moment, my head was spinning and I just-“, his head hung low as he stumbled upon his words.

“Hey, hey, look at me. Carlos, look at me. You have nothing to say sorry for, babe. You were just worried for me. And yes, you’re right, I would never do that to my family or you. You mean too much to me.”

Carlos looked at TK, smiling through tears, kissing TK’s palm again.

“On every call I’ve ever been, I’ve never felt that type of fear before. Not knowing if you were alive or dead, I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do with myself. My heart felt stuck in my throat and my mind kept freezing at the possibility of never seeing you again.” He stopped to take a deep breath. “And I know that you’re fine now but I still can’t shake that feeling of dread. I don’t what I’d do without you.” Another tear escaped his puffy eyes and TK couldn’t take it anymore. 

He mustered all the energy he had in him to sit upright, ignoring Carlos’ protests otherwise and wrapped his tube-free arm around him. Carlos didn’t protest for too long and hugged TK back, he needed it. Needed his boyfriend, his hugs and needed to be close to him. It was the only thing that seemed to calm him down, draining the anxiety from his bones as they stayed in each other’s embrace. 

Carlos pulled back after what seemed like eternities, took TK’s hand in hisand looked into his eyes.

“I love you, Tyler Kennedy. I love you with everything I have and it terrifies me sometimes but I can’t imagine myself without you. I love you so much, baby.” He said as he leaned in with his eyes closed, their foreheads touching, hands entwined.

“I love you more, baby.” TK couldn’t hold back another tear ad he captured Carlos’ lips in slow, searing kiss that spoke volumes for both of them. There was no urgency in it, just a deep need to be close to each other. It was languid and loving and for a moment, the world around them disappeared and it was just them. Until one of them pulled back.

“You know, one of these days I oughta end up in a hospital like this, give you a taste of your own medicine.” Carlos laughed as TK shoved him lightly at that remark. “Maybe that will teach you to stay out of harm’s way and come back home to me at the end of the day.”

TK smiled at the mention of coming home to Carlos until he realized something.

“Wait, where’s your uniform?” 

“Ohh, yeah, a lot happened yesterday. I have a lot to catch you up on.” Carlos said with a smile on his face, feeling much lighter than at the beginning of this conversation. He needed this. He needed his TK.


End file.
